Chennai: The Tamil Nadu drug control administration has revoked the licences of 36 retailers and wholesalers across the state for selling habit-forming drugs, opioid-based formulations used for anxiety or pain relief, and antibiotics without bills and valid prescriptions in bulk quantities in 2024.
Additionally, more than 385 licences were suspended for various violations, including selling prescription drugs over the counter, not issuing bills, and selling drugs without the presence of chemists.
Such sales pose serious risks, including the development of antibiotic resistance, drug addiction, adverse drug reactions, and masking underlying health conditions, stated the state drug controller, M N Sridhar.
“Yet, such sales are not uncommon. Most bulk sales happen online, making them difficult to track,” he said. However, during routine inspections, drug inspectors found ome shops were repeatedly selling these drugs to known customers without bills or proper prescriptions.
“Shops keep a count of prescriptions they buy in their log. Drug inspectors question them when they see a mismatch in sales. In some cases, chemists did not have bills for 100 out of 500 such drugs they sold,” he said.
Among those whose licences were suspended, at least 322 were retailers and 63 were wholesalers. In some cases, inspectors have forwarded complaints to the joint director of health to frame charges of quackery.
“Sometimes, chemists give medicines based on symptoms described by customers. This can be a dangerous trend too,” he said. The police, through their intelligence network, have also caught shops selling drugs without bills. Chemists argue that in most situations, they sell prescription drugs over the counter only to known customers.
“We know a person is buying a diabetic or hypertensive drug regularly. In that case, we may not ask for a prescription. Or they may move to another shop or buy medicines online. However, billing must be done to prevent abuse,” said a senior chemist who runs a shop in West Mambalam.
” There may be a few exceptions, but most chemists don’t intend to harm. If they know there is a possibility of abuse they exercise restraint,” he said.
The TN druggists and chemists association have asked their members to ensure they do not violate the Drug and Cosmetics Act, he said.
Chennai: The TN drug control administration filed 226 cases against manufacturers, dealers, wholesalers, and retailers in 2024 for various violations, including the sale of spurious and substandard drugs, selling drugs above the maximum price, and other lapses.
The cases filed against drug manufacturers are serious and are in various stages of legal action, Sridhar said. Additionally, the state has filed 125 cases against pharmacists for not maintaining prescription registers and 28 cases for the sale of drugs under Schedule H and H1 without a prescription. Another 156 cases have been filed for other lapses, including sales without chemists and improper storage of drugs.
